Collaborating isn’t just a good idea. It’s necessary because even relatively simple ecosystems cannot be understood from a singular perspective, and although collaboratives are often necessary for breakthrough solutions, the work can be challenging to navigate.For the past year and a half the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) took the bold step to collaborate and create new solutions to our emerging healthcare needs. SNAC is part of a national campaign with 51 action coalitions. In our region, SNAC’s membership is composed of 20 community members, educators, and health care employers interested in designing pathways for nursing to contribute to the compelling need for change.

The Why and the How: For SNAC, collaboration was seen as essential from the outset because meaningful solutions require combining diverse talents, resources, and knowledge to optimize their capacity for breakthroughs. They had a common why: to lead change in nursing and health care delivery by facilitating the expanding role of nursing in a transforming health care system. However, once assembled, the big question was: how? How would this diverse group work together to create solutions.

Stages: Coalition development has been described as having seven stages: mobilization, establishing structure, building capacity for action, planning for action, implementation, refinement, and institutionalization. Although these stages appear to be sequential, in practice, movement is often circular and iterative through the stages. For example, SNAC developed a structure when it formed, but a year later as it matured its leaders are refining its structure to address its current needs.

ANPF is proud to announce our 2015 funding cycle is now open. We are offering 12 scholarships at $2,500 each for a total of $30,000. Our education funding opportunities are available to all nurse practitioners in the US. All DNP and NP students who have completed one semester of their program are encouraged to apply.

The scholarships are funded (in part) through a donation to American Nurse Practitioner Foundation by Take Care Health Systems, LLC, which is a subsidiary of Walgreen Co. and the management company for Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens.

The Following Scholarship Awards Are Available:

12 scholarships @ $2,500 each.

Scholarship Applicant Requirements:

All requests are due by 5:00pm CST Friday, October 9th, 2015.
All applicants must complete at least one semester of course work.
You will need the following information to apply:

CV.

Letter of Recommendation.

Official University transcript.

One page summary: Tell us a little about yourself and your goals upon graduation. Please include information about how funding will be used.

The Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) is a group of people working together for a common goal. SNAC is focused on creating something new through the strength of collective people power; people who are developing “connective tissue” to create new realities. It has grown from the passion of a few to a coalition with 20 members and a variety of teams, workgroups and task forces working together to achieve a mission.

Here is how they are doing it:

Its Inception – SNAC began in 2013. Jan Mauck, Chief Nursing Officer at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, was inspired to bring the work of the Florida Action Coalition and national Campaign for Action to our region. She was inspired to support the vision that nursing can contribute to an improved health care system. Jan reached out to Charles Baumann, a community member and partner at Kerkering Barberio, who became passionate about the improvement of patient care outcomes.

Triad Model – Jan and Charles began connecting and engaging leaders from academic institutions, health-care employers and the community members to join SNAC work. Representatives from the three sectors became the core construct of SNAC because the voice, participation, and engagement of individuals from all three sectors are essential for lasting change.

The 2015 Sapphire Awards and Symposium, held on April 22-23 at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida, was a great success and we thank all of you who attended this year. We had more than 350 participants in attendance, and based on the post-survey responses, they felt very satisfied with the professional development sessions, speakers, plenaries and the entire experience as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Sapphire Awards.

The winners of the 2015 Sapphire Awards were announced at the awards ceremony on April 23. The five winning individuals, programs and organizations, selected from more than 164 nominees from across the state, were recognized and awarded for excellence, leadership and innovation in nonprofit community health. The honorees have made a significant, positive impact on health-related outcomes for Florida’s at-risk people and communities.

Since 2005, Florida Blue Foundation has presented 60 Sapphire Awards, totaling more than $3.4 million, to nine individuals and 51 programs and organizations from across Florida.

By the end of June, we will have vIdeos and profiles of the five honorees and presentations from the speakers posted to the Foundation’s website. We will notify you when they are posted and include links that will take you directly to the presentation of your choice.